From the S-T: An $8 million condominium development on South University Drive will move forward despite protests by residents who say the 59-unit project will overwhelm already tight parking in the area just south of Bluebonnet Circle in Fort Worth.

On Wednesday, Austin-based Hammond Jones Real Estate Development asked the Board of Adjustment to allow the project's three buildings and 208 parking spaces to exceed the zoning ordinance's open-space requirement, which is meant to provide adequate green space for residents.

I suppose the new development will be where some or all of the old apartments are now located. As I recall, the Rashti family owned those apartments, at least decades ago, and may have built them too.

There is a street somewhere in the Westcliff/Bluebonnet area named after Rashti as I recall.

I am not certain I understand the neighbors' concerns over 59 units and the attendant parking load... aren't there many more rental apartments there already or at least some similar number? Again, I am uncertain how much existing housing will be razed to make room for the development, so it may be a well-founded concern.

Interestingly, about 8 or 10 years ago, a little pie-shaped sliver of a lot had a for-sale sign on it and it was located on the southeast corner where University Dr. intersects with the south edge of the circle... right behind a dry cleaner as I recall. Hmm? I wondered at the time if there was enough square footage to do anything with the lot, maybe build a small office building, so I called the realtor's number and talked to a young lady who seemed to know almost nothing about the lot, had a kid screaming in the background, so I let the idea drop. This would have been a small parcel of land south of the alley, not the adjacent parking area to the north and east of the northeastern most apartment building. I don't recall ever getting a square footage figure.

Then, not so many years ago, I noticed another pie shaped residential lot on the west side of the cirlce not far from the fish restaurant, found out who was paying taxes on it, and wrote him a letter... no response. I thought it was sort of an interesting piece of land.

Bluebonnet Circle... a very neat little area and well located. I hope it all works out for the best over there.

I was wondering about those apartments; when we drove by Sunday, it was obviously they wouldn't be standing much longer; sidewalks torn up, fence up, asbestos signs on the doors. It will be interesting to see what happens.

There is a street, Rashti, that intersects with Trail Lake Drive, northish of Manderly and southish of South Dr.

Industrial-ish architecture with steel roofs!? That's something I've wanted to see in Fort Worth for a long time! I'm going to be bummed if the neighborhood organization succeeds in changing the style to the same-old same-old.

I'm not sure of the exact dimensions of the land, but 59 condos sounds like a pretty low density. Makes me think the design won't be very urban.

Shooting South from the circle, if you look closely, you can see a number of police cars doing a spot check for seat belts, inspection sticker, and registration infractions - which I haven't seen in a long time.

These certainly aren't high end units by any means and the parking is going to be tight.

Does anyone know if these are still for sale or if will they be rentals?

They are for rent only and the name of the development is 'South University Centre' at 817-923-9700.Each unit is 3 bed, 3 bath and they are divided in three sections that are 1bed, one bath each and rent for $780/mo.